Preaching Through the Week

Sunday, March 22, 2020 Text: Colossians 1:9-14 Theme: Patience and Flexibility "Never in all my adult life did I think I would be leading worship, in our kitchen, for our congregations." -Pastor Paul, Sunday, March 22, 2020 I went to church today. No quotes, no quips, no exceptions. We had church today. We praised God; we confessed our sins, heard the words of forgiveness, prayed, heard the Word, confessed our faith, prayed, and were blessed. The world is an unexpected and wild place. The time in which we find ourselves commands great discipline, creativity, and faithfulness. While things were not perfect on our Zoom worship today, there was a sense of gladness and thanksgiving. Come to think of it, Sunday mornings never go perfectly either. And that is a good thing. Amidst the foibles and mistakes, the Holy Spirit still enters in and brings us to faith. As Christians, and people from other faith communities, have prayed, discerned, and planned for a "new way...

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11 Focus: Wilderness and Temptation- Part 1 There are two things that we are facing these days, as our humanity is tested: wilderness and temptation. Times of wilderness interrupt life; a cancer diagnosis, the death of a loved one, losing a job. The wilderness is just that-- wild, untamed, scary.  The Covid-19 pandemic is a wilderness that most of us have never experienced, individually or collectively. As of the writing of this, there have been over 207,000 positive cases, in more than 160 countries and territories, leading to more than 8,600 deaths. There has not been a positive case in Southern Illinois, at least not yet. For many, this is a time of fear and anxiety; toilet paper shelves are empty, bread is missing from the shelves, and we don't know when people in our community will be directly affected.  God is no stranger to the wilderness. The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilder...